Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Dončić dropped by NBC’s Today show on Wednesday.
The five-time All-NBA player discussed a number of topics, including the physical transformation recently featured on the cover of Men’s Health.
When asked why this offseason was different for him, Dončić gave the following response: “I would say me and my team just tried some new things, you know, different food, different practices. I actually gave up playing basketball for one month, which I’d never done in my life, so it was kind of challenging, but it was all for the good.”
Hearing that Dončić gave up basketball for a month to focus on himself was surprising, so he fielded a follow-up question on the matter.
“Just mentally, you know, basketball I played my whole life, so I won’t forget how to play basketball. We try other sports. I felt like it was a good thing.”
When asked if he felt he needed to step away from basketball to focus on the “fitness aspect,” Dončić said, “yeah, exactly.”
The 26-year-old has received criticism for appearing out of shape in the past, and there were reports that his old team, the Dallas Mavericks, was upset with the reported way he took care of himself before trading him to L.A. on Feb. 1.
Dončić isn’t concerned with any outside noise, though, and he’s instead focused on the present and future.
“I mean honestly, I try not to read much, you know, just trying to focus. I mean, I think I’m still a pretty good basketball player back then, no matter what people say. I think it was the next step in my career. In the end, I’m still 26, and you know, I got a long way to go, so that was a good step in my career.”
The next step appears to be signing a four-year, $229 million contract extension, which he’s eligible to ink on Saturday. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that he’s expected to conclude his current Jordan Brand tour Saturday in L.A. and sign that deal.